Shears for ripping seams



No. 6|9,326. Patented, Feb. l4, I899.

L. MERRILL.

SHEARS FDR RIPPING SEAMS.

(Application'fild Max. 1, 1898.)

(No Modal.)

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UNITED STATES PATENT ()FFICE.

LEMUEL MERRILL, OF MELROSE, MASSACHUSETTS.

SHEARS FOR RIPPING SEAMS.

SPECIFICATION formingpart of Letters Patent No. 619,326, dated February 14, 1899. Application filed March 1,1898- Serial No. 672,174. (No model.)

To aZZ whom it may concern.-

Be it known that I, LEMUEL MERRILL, of

Melrose, in the county of Middlesex and State of Massachusetts, have invented new and useful Improvements in Shears for Ripping Seams, of which the following is a full, clear, and exact description.

My invention relates to an improvement in shears for ripping seams; and it consists of certain novel features of construction, which will be hereinafter described and claimed.

Reference is to be had to the accompanying drawings, forming a part of this specification, in which similar characters of reference indicate corresponding parts in all the views. 7 Figure 1 shows my device in plan. Fig. 2 is a view showing the cutting end of the device on a larger scale, and Fig. 3 is a section taken upon the line 3 3 of Fig. 2.

My device consists of two pivoted members A and B, preferably formed with eyes or handholes I I at one end thereof, similar to the hand-holes of shears. are pivoted atD upon a pivot of any suitable character. One of these members, as B, at the end opposite the hand-hole is pointed, as shown at H, and has its edges sharpened to form a knife or cutter. The other member A has its outer end preferably formed as a plate, the same being bent about the end of the cutting member B, so asto form a shield therefor. The end of the member A is also provided with a notch E, extending across the same at the head. This notch is preferably formed with an enlarged outer end, forming a sawtooth notch. A short distance within the apex of this notch is a circular opening G, which extends through both sides of the shield, and said opening is connected with the apex of the notch E by a slot F. The two sides of the shield closely embrace the cut-ting end H of the member B, so as to protect the blade and separate the parts of the material upon each side of the seam. The pivot D preferably passes through the body of the member A and also through the free end 0 of said member which forms the opposite side of the shield.

The operation of the device is as follows:

These two members- In ripping a seam the device is placed so that the notch E in the forward part of the member A embraces the seam to be ripped. The two members A and B are then operated so as to cause the cutting edge of the blade H to reciprocateacross the notch E and slot F. The blade H will engage the stitches to cut them, while the shield will prevent the blade from engaging the cloth.

The device is handled and operated similarly to a pair of shears.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent- 1. A seam ripper, comprising a shield formed of two opposing plate members slightly separated in the body thereof and tapering to a contact at one edge, one of said plates having a tapering notch in its edge terminating in a circular enlargement, and the cutter-blade having a rounded sharpened end and being pivoted between said members to reciprocate across said notch, said blade and shield members having each an extension adapted to be engaged by the hand, to reciprocate them, substantially as described.

2. A seam ripper, comprising a shield formed of a plate bent upon itself, the halves in the main being parallel and slightly separated, but tapering to a sharp edge at the bend, said shield having a notch formed therein across the apex of the bend, a circular aperture through each side of said shield at a slight distance from the apex of said notch, and slots connecting said apertures with the apex of the notch, a cutter-blade pivoted to swing between the sides of the shield and having a tapering cutting end fitting closely Within the shield at its notched end, and both of said members having a rearward extension adapted to be engaged by the hand, to reciprocate them, substantially as described.

3. A pair of shears forripping seams, comprising two pivoted members, one having one end pointed and sharpened at its edges to form a cutting-blade, and the other having its corresponding end bent about the cutting-blade to form a closely-embracing shield therefor, said shield having a notch formed therein,

giving access to the cutting-blade, said cutthe cntting edge of the blade, the blade being ting-blade being adapted to swing across said pivoted to have a cutting movement across IO notchA substantially as described. b the notch of the shield.

4. seam-ripper, comprisingtwo mem ers, 1

5 one forming a cutting-blade and the other a LEMUEL MERRILL shield, the cutting-blade having a sharpened Witnesses: edge at one end, and the shield closely eni- JOHN W. PITMAN, bracing this end and havinga notch exposing A. G. DAVIS. 

